Arthur Frommer's Blog, page 28

You Must Go to Several Websites to Find the Cheapest Airfare Instead of Assuming That Any One is the Budget Champion

Recently, the New York Times carried an article by Seth Kugel in which he reached the unsurprising conclusion that ethnic travel agents specializing in one destination can get better airfares for you than are accessed from the internet's airfare search engines. Going to Zagreb, Croatia? Going to Shenzhen, China? Visit (or phone) a live Croatian-American travel agent for the former or a live Chinese-American travel agent for the latter, and they will get you a fare costing considerably less than you'd obtain from Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz. Since these are human beings sending hundreds of people to a single destination, they have obviously negotiated better airfares with the airlines going to their exotic hub cities.
 
To that conclusion, I'd like to add a personal discovery. Going to a standard, mass-volume destination -- like London or Paris or Denver or Cancun -- no one service, neither a search engine website nor a live travel agent, will always get you the best fare. I've been amazed in recent tests of the Internet to discover how fickle they all are. On one test to a particular city, Orbitz will have the best fare. Or another test to a different city, Dohop.com will have the best fare, on still another, Kayak will have the best fare. For reasons hard to explain, there's no science or logical explanation of why particular websites are the occasional price leaders to one city but not to another.
 
And as I've recently discovered, the airfare aggregators like Momondo or Dohop.com or Skyscanner.com will usually have better airfares than the giant search engines like Expedia or Travelocity -- but not always. Sometimes, and occasionally, in a crazy alternation of customary roles, such giants as Expedia or Orbitz or Travelocity will actually be the price leaders!
 
So what does this all mean, in terms of your own tactics in obtaining a good airfare to your next vacation destination? It means that you can't quickly find such a fare; you must, instead, spend an hour or so going to all the sources -- to places like CheapTickets.com and CheapOAir.com and Kayak and Momondo and Orbitz -- to fully take advantage of the crazy structure of airfares. Different services have different airfares, and any claim that they all discover the same opportunities is totally mistaken. The lazy would-be traveler pays the most; the person willing to spend an hour or so at the task of searching for a bargain -- will often find one.
 
Am I right in reaching that conclusion? Has your own experience been different? Is there any one airfare search engine that always (or usually) leads the field? I'd be grateful for your comments.

Under Strong Pressure from the Rest of the World, China Has Increased the Inflation-Adjusted Value of its Currency

The steady, recent, increase in the value of the Chinese currency, the Yuan, coupled with a strong rate of inflation within that country, has had the result that I predicted several months ago: the cost of travel to China is no longer quite the same bargain it was. As one example, the tour known as "Historic China" operated by China Focus Travel ( www.chinafocustravel.com ), no longer visits five Chinese cities in nine days; it goes to only four Chinese cities in eight days, and no longer costs a breathtaking $1,499 (including round-trip airfare to China from San Francisco); it now costs as much as $2,199 and $2,299 per person (for a tour renamed "Historic China by Bullet Train"). Although $1,499 was the winter price for "Historic China," the increased price for travel in the spring is far greater than it was in previous years, and although even $2,199 is a relative value, it is no longer a breathtaking bargain.
 
The Chinese continue under pressure from the rest of the world to increase the value of the Yuan further; and Chinese inflation remains high. If you continue to put off your own Chinese trip, you will pay a heavy price for doing so. And you should now examine the prices of other tour operators to China, especially China Spree ( www.chinaspree.com ), to see whether occasional bargains are still being offered. Some companies may cut the mark-up of their costs in order to increase their market share.
 
Travelers might also consider booking the tours that go to fewer Chinese cities, and provide fewer features, and thus remain nearly as affordable as in the past.
 
Such is the price of procrastination.

Though Vegas P.R. Flacks Claim Business is Up, Discounted Room Rates at the City's Best Hotels Tell Another Story

The year has been marked so far by a steady drumbeat of announcements from the tourist board of Las Vegas that business in Sin City is spectacular -- specifically, that 2011 was the second best time in years, that hotel occupancy is up and that restaurants are jammed.
 
The people I talk to, who have recently been to Las Vegas, tell me otherwise. And the hotel situation in Las Vegas is better determined not from the p.r. releases, but by looking at the extent of the discounting offered by Vegas' deluxe hotels. If you will go to the booking charts of the super-elegant Aria Hotel, in the City Center development on the Strip (a property whose rates for a suite go up to as much as $399 during peak times), you will find that the Aria is offering nightly rates for a deluxe suite of $109, $119 and $129 on 13 different dates in the month of March; and that it is already offering rates of $129 a night on no fewer than 18 dates in April -- more than half the month.
 
As for the deluxe Venetian and Palazzo hotels, they are heavily advertising rates of $109 a night, per room, for stays in March and April. And when you then move on to the sub-deluxe category, you find that such hotels as the Luxor are asking as little as $28 a night per room.
 
Those actual prices are a far better indicator of the depressed level of America's gambling capital, affected not simply by a slow economy but by the increased competition for gamblers that is now offered in numerous states that have legalized casino gambling. Objectively, it appears that Las Vegas is offering spectacular deals to sharp-eyed visitors who search for the bargains.

Whether or Not the United States is to Enjoy High-Speed Rail Will Be Decisively Debated Within the Coming Weeks

A great many publications have failed to draw attention to the fact that the President's budget for Fiscal Year 2013 contains the first appropriation of a five-year plan to allocate between $35 and $50 billion for the development of high-speed rail in the United States. At last, our nation would take decisive steps to fund a high-speed rail corridor between Los Angeles and San Francisco, another along the west coast of Florida, one in the state of Michigan, and in other important and heavily populated areas. That kind of economic stimulus would not only create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, but would set us on the path towards becoming a modern, efficient and prosperous nation in the field of transportation.
 
It should be noted, in my view, that this is not a partisan issue. A great many Republicans, including the one Republican cabinet member in the Administration, Secretary of Transportation Ray La Hood, enthusiastically support this national initiative. This week, Ray La Hood is in California, urging that legislators of both parties there stay firm in their insistence on creation of a high-speed rail corridor along the coast of California.  
 
So we are at a turning point.  Are we to remain a horse-and-buggy nation, mired for hours on end in traffic jams, condemned to waste valuable time at crowded airports with planes stacked up in the skies, or are we to become a modern, efficient, economically-prosperous nation of sensible transportation? This, to me, is not a partisan goal, but should be advanced by people of all political persuasions.   

Light Weight & Long Battery Time Are Essential Laptop Features for Travelers

If you are both an avid traveler and user of the Internet, you will need a laptop that is light to carry, and has a long battery life (for when you're not within reach of a power outlet). Depending on your budget, you'll probably want to buy a laptop like the Samsung or Acer Chromebook ($349) or a costlier MacBookAir ($999-$1,399) or Ultrabook ($899 to $1,399, depending on the model you buy from Hewlett Packard, Dell, Asus or Acer). All of them weigh around 3 pounds apiece, have long battery life, and are thus geared to the needs of travel.
Because I'm a cheapskate, I am now making use of a Chromebook on a trip to Boston that I bought on Tigerdirect.com for $349 (plus shipping), and am quite happy with it. But once I tire of the novelty of this device (which only works on the Internet and saves your files "to the cloud" rather than to storage on your own computer), I will probably bite the bullet and move to the latest MacBookAir or Ultrabook.
Any advice from our readers as to what they've found most suitable for travel? Anything I'm overlooking? Any other considerations I should keep in mind? What has been your own experience with the Chromebook, MacBookAir, or various Ultrabooks? In travel, that is.

At Long Last, There's an Affordable Air-and-Land Program to Cuba Operated by a Large Reputable Company

Just when it seemed that nearly all the new packages to Cuba were priced at outlandish levels ($500 to $600 a day per person, plus the cost of airfare between Miami and Havana), along comes Road Scholar to save the day. 
In a recent announcement, the famed, non-profit travel organization for mature Americans has offered to operate numerous departures of such a trip (through most of the year) for a reasonable sum (see below), including--repeat, including -- round-trip airfare between Miami and Havana. Although several of its earliest, springtime departures are close to being sold out, numerous other dates have empty seats, and even more openings are expected to be available in the fall. 
What's more, Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel) no longer imposes a rigid minimum age requirement on its passengers as it did in the past (when it required they be at least 55 years of age). While the overwhelming percentage of its passengers are still people of advanced years (68 to 70 is probably an average age), Road Scholar now accepts persons of any age, though people in their 20s, 30s and early 40s might feel out of place on the typical Road Scholar trip.
Road Scholar is operating three different programs to Cuba, each involving a seven-night stay in Cuba:

Cuba Today: People and Society is a nine-day, eight-night trip with one night in Miami, four nights in Havana and three nights in Cienfuegos, all-inclusive of accommodations, meals, daily sightseeing, all government fees and taxes, and round-trip air between Miami and Cuba, for a total of $3,295 per person for most dates. If you assume the value of the round-trip air to be around $400 (which is the figure used by most other tour operators to Cuba), then your stay in Cuba is costing about $360 per person per day, which is far less than most others charge. The focus of this tour is on a broad range of Cuban institutions, exploring the history and cultural heritage of Cuba and meeting (according to Road Scholar) with "community leaders, artists and intellectuals." 
Havana: City of Arts and Artists is an eight-day, seven-night trip devoting six nights to the arts community of Cuba (painters, dancers, musicians and other performers), including two evening performances, of which one is in the Gran Teatro of Havana. Participants receive 12 field trips, all meals, accommodations, attendance at rehearsals, contact with directors and producers of artistic enterprises, and round-trip airfare to Havana from Miami, including all government fees and taxes. Prices are as low as $2,995 per person, but also rise to between $3,095 and $3,395 per person, depending on date of departure. Shalom Cuba: Exploring Jewish Heritage is a nine-day, eight-night trip that also devotes four nights to Havana and three nights to Cienfuegos, in both of which cities participants meet with members of the small but active Jewish community of Cuba and visit synagogues, a Jewish pharmacy, and other institutions of importance to the Jewish heritage. Participants also engage in 12 field trips and 6 excursions, and pay $3,295 per person, including round-trip airfare between Miami and Cuba. 

 On Road Scholar's website, a great many departures are listed for March, April and May, and these will soon be extended into the autumn months. The organization is actively engaged in obtaining additional hotel space for a program that is already regarded as a major success. And given the fact that it is far less expensive than those already announced by several other major tour operators, it well deserves its popularity. 
You can get exact details and dates of departure from Road Scholar online at www.roadscholar.org or by calling 800/454-5768.

Two Academy Award Best Picture Nominees Are Top Travelogues for Planning Trips to Paris or Hawaii

Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris and Alexander Payne's The Descendants (starring George Clooney) were mainly intended to depict a failed engagement (Midnight in Paris) and a failed marriage (The Descendants). But both of them are such magnificent travelogues of the key attractions of Paris and Hawaii that they should be seen not necessarily for their plots but by anyone even vaguely contemplating a trip to the two destinations.

Midnight in Paris is a virtual valentine tribute to the City of Light, taking you up and down its boulevards, bridges and parks, its main museums (The Rodin Sculptures are given special attention) and the suburban Palace of Versailles. Anyone interested in a trip to Paris will greatly benefit from an advance look at one of the most awesome cities on earth.

The Descendants depicts the paradise that is Hawaii, not so much in its filming of tourist-popular areas (which get minor attention) but in taking its cameras to the lovely residential districts and outlying sections of Oahu, Kauai and The Big Island. If you have ever simply wandered by car through the Oahu neighborhoods where residents actually live (as I have), you will have an instant sensation of recognition when you see many of the scenes in the movie depicting the lives of Clooney and his two daughters. And you will also be treated to various panoramic glimpses of the undeveloped Hawaii, the few beaches and coastal sections where resort hotels haven't yet been erected.

I left a showing of The Descendants last night yearning to return to Hawaii. And though the current betting is for The Artist to win as Best Picture, I find it interesting that two travelogues should also be competing for that honor.

The State Department's Latest Warnings on Mexico Travel Are a Positive Recommendation for Four Distinct Regions

Spring Break is coming up, and Mexico is an obvious destination for collegiate vacationers: it is wonderfully hot, relatively cheap, exotic and different, and sufficiently large to absorb the invasion of spring breakers without changing its character. And therefore it's important to note that in the latest State Department advisory about the dangers of traveling within several areas of drug-related conflict, four distinct and large sections of Mexico get a free pass: the State Department doesn't even mention them as places to avoid.
 
These are, first and foremost, Cancun and the Maya Riviera, including Tulum. No significant threats to the safety of tourists have been encountered or are presently feared in this favorite resort area of millions of yearly visitors.
 
Second, Cabo San Lucas at the southernmost tip of the Baja peninsula. West coast Americans can vacation there in safety.
 
Third, Mexico City and the colonial cities (San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato) reached by bus from the north bus station of the capital. A great many retired Americans continue to live there.
 
And finally, Puerto Vallarta and the adjoining Nayarit district. Those tourist-heavy resort areas have so far been spared any drug-related violence, and continue to be popular.
 
I must say that these omissions from the State Department's list of danger areas have been confirmed to me by numerous tourists who have gone to Cancun, Cabo san Lucas, Mexico City, and Puerto Vallarta. These recent travellers are usually strong in their opinions that Americans can continue to vacation safely in a country that has otherwise been badly affected by violence in other areas, especially near the border with the United States.

Here's a Quick Summary of Last Week's Big Travel News

Last week was full of important travel events, some good some bad. Let's deal quickly with the poor developments first, so that we can devote most attention to the positive.
 
The eruption of violence in Egypt, following the deaths of 70 spectators at a soccer march in Port Said, was of a wholly different nature than previous outbreaks of that sort and it has radically changed the safety situation in that country. Protestors accused not simply the military but the local police of being complicit in the soccer riot, and physically attacked police posts and police officers, who generally withdrew from the scene (and are no longer functioning as an effective police force). It became undeniable, last week, that Egypt for the time being does not have an effective, local police presence, on which the tourist can rely for safety in a whole range of situations. And I must therefore withdraw the expressions of confidence I have previously made and alter my belief that Egypt is currently safe to visit. For the time being, it isn't, and a great country has, temporarily at least, been removed from the list of potential travel destinations.
 
In a childish response to the Department of Transportation's new pro-consumer regulations, requiring (among other things) that passengers may cancel a booking within 24 hours, without incurring penalties, the equally childish Spirit Airlines announced last week that it will add a $2 "unintended consequences" surcharge to all its air tickets, designed to reimburse that poor, deserving airline for the alleged damage it will suffer from the new rule. (Actually, prior to the new rule-making, several large airlines, including industry leader Delta, had themselves voluntarily announced that passengers would be permitted to cancel without penalty within 24 hours of booking a flight). Let me voice an angry opinion. The President of Spirit Airlines, who is also the author of numerous other extra, pesky, and unique-to-Spirit charges and fees imposed upon passengers, is a real piece of work from whom we have come to expect such petty retaliations. How much longer will consumers regard Spirit as a source of inexpensive flights?
 
Last week, too, Malev Airlines of Hungary went bankrupt, removing a popular carrier from a number of both trans-Atlantic and intra-European flights. Though Malev's routes may now be flown by Ryanair, it won't be the same, and we must all mourn the loss of a once-popular carrier.
 
But greatly overcoming these dire developments was the fact that the Department of Transportation, under the leadership of Secretary Ray LaHood, succeeded last week in turning aside various airline-sponsored lawsuits designed to prevent the Department's latest pro-consumer regulations from going into effect. And therefore, last week, they became operative: hence, airlines will be required to include all fees and government taxes in the airfares they advertise. And, as you've already heard, passengers will be permitted to cancel their reservations without penalty, within 24 hours of making them.
 
As for those taxes and fees, they are sometimes almost as high as the airfare itself, and numerous travelers have been shocked to learn -- too late in the booking process -- that the $350 flight they thought they had booked was really costing $700 including all mandatory fees and taxes. The new regulations will enable all of us to have a clearer (and valuable) understanding of the cost of travel.

A Friendly Yet Befuddling French Airline Announces it Will Fly Cheap Round-Trips This Summer Between the U.S. and Paris

Remember XL Airways? They're the strange but apparently responsible and well-established French airline -- a carrier specializing in long-distance routes, like Paris to Phuket, Thailand -- that tantalized the American traveler last summer with trans-Atlantic airfares between New York (or Las Vegas) and Paris at prices several hundreds of dollars below the normal range.
 
But it was devillishly hard to obtain those fares (although a fair number of Americans did). Though XL did maintain a website, it was not for booking flights (you were asked to contact your GDS -- meaning a travel agent -- for that purpose), and most of the time you were directed to the airline's French-language site for further information, which again emphasized Paris-originating flights. And you received ambiguous instructions from XL's office in New Jersey.
 
It was obvious (at least to me) that XL was mainly interested in filling its trans-Atlantic service with passengers from France. They even seemed to feel that it was possible to fill all its seats with itineraries originating in France. And yet, several of my friends, on varying occasions, succeeded in obtaining a flight and did, successfully, fly round-trip at great rates between New York and Paris on XL. (I no of no one who booked it from Las Vegas).
 
Well, XL Airways is back to its old tricks for summer of 2012. It has just circulated a notice that it will begin flying trans-Atlantic in May ("Our low airfares to Paris are back!"). And this year, it has added San Francisco to its list of U.S. cities, that are otherwise limited to New York and Las Vegas. It has even listed a phone number (tel. 877/496-9889) and an English-language website ( www.xlairways.com ). But when you call that number, you are told that fares and flights will be disclosed "shortly" (whenever that is), and you get no greater information from the English-language website, which hasn't yet gone live. (When you access the French-language website, which is simply www.xl.com, you are advised of a couple of round-trip flights between Paris and San Francisco, with the extremely good airfares for a flight of that distance).
 
In everything that XL advises online, you are told to contact a travel agent to actually book your flight. One alternative tactic you might use is to access "Customer Service" when you call the XL phone number, and thus speak with a friendly gentleman who will offer to look up prices on the French-language site for you.
 
I'll keep after XL to get more hard-and-fast news, although I know from previous experience that this will be an arduous (if not awesome) task.